Read Online How We Lived (Entangled Embrace) by Erin Butler - Free Book Online Page B

around. His shoulder bumped mine as he made a straight line for the bed. I tried to grab him, but it was too late. He lifted David by the shoulders, steadied him, and then reared back and punched him in the face.
    David’s hands went immediately to his nose. “Fuck, dude.” When he pulled away, bright-red blood had pooled in his palms. “I’m fucking bleeding.”
    As sick as it was, I was glad he punched him. Chase grabbed my hand, led me from the party, and to his car. He slammed his fists on the steering wheel a few times before leaning over, grabbing my seat belt, and locking it in place around me.
    I let out the breath I’d been holding. “I’m sorry. You didn’t have to come.”
    “I didn’t have to come? You called me and said you needed me.”
    I crossed my arms. “Well, you didn’t have to come if you’re going to be so pissy about it.”
    He shook his head. “I’m not mad, I’m fucking scared. I’m not supposed to be driving. Only to and from work, and to my drinking driver classes, and— Oh, Jesus Christ, why am I explaining this to you? You’re drunk off your ass. You won’t even remember this tomorrow.”
    Oh my God. What had I done? I rubbed my temples. “I’ll drive.”
    “Yeah. Like that’s a good idea. You’re drunk. If you get pulled over, or something worse, we’ll both be screwed.”
    Dread washed over me. I couldn’t believe I’d just said I would drive. We both knew what could happen. “I’m sorry. I just…”
    “You’re drunk. Just sit and don’t…talk.”
    The drive home took five minutes, but it was one of the longest—and sobering— five minutes of my life. I was scared for him. I was mortified at what he’d seen. And I was so mad at myself. I could have hurt Chase just because I felt like forgetting everything for a night.
    When we pulled into his driveway, he said, “Don’t let anyone ever call you a whore again.”
    “I didn’t—”
    “Never. Again,” he seethed.
    I nodded and got out. There was no sense in trying to explain myself tonight. When Chase was furious, it was best to let him get it out of his system. Before I even made it to the front of the car, he was right there. I held my hands out to stop him from coming too close. “Don’t look at me right now. Please.”
    His hands fell to his sides and I walked straight for my house. Right as I stepped on the porch, the beep of the lock mechanisms clicked into place on the car.
    I had every intention of going to my own room, but Kyle’s was right there. I slipped past the still-empty boxes in the hall and closed the door carefully behind me so Dad wouldn’t wake up. He was on the couch. So much for their talk earlier.
    I sat on the bed and faced Chase’s bedroom. His curtains framed the window. He came in, threw his keys on his dresser, and stripped off his shirt. Yes, definitely much nicer abs than David’s.
    I walked to the window, hoisted it up, fell out, and knocked on Chase’s. He opened it without even looking.
    …
    -Chase-
    I hugged her. I’d never wanted to be so mad at someone else in my entire life, but I couldn’t help it, I hugged her.
    Slowing my heartbeat was hard. It was going a fucking mile a minute. I still wanted to drive back and beat that motherfucker’s ass. No one called Kelsey Larkin a whore on my watch. No one. If she hadn’t been there, I probably would have torn the limbs from his body, that’s how pissed I was.
    I needed to focus on Kels now. She was so lost it came off her in waves. Maybe she hadn’t realized it yet, but she did what she’d done because she felt lost. Scared. I had experience with that kind of shit. I was the master of self-loathing and self-destruction.
    “You shouldn’t have picked me up. I’m not worth it.”
    Dammit. Was she serious? I rubbed below her eyes. Tears were pooling at the corners and I was going to chase them away as soon as they spilled over. She’d had enough crying to last her a lifetime. She wanted love and I had it to